Anyone who’s experienced a traumatic event knows that emotional trauma hurts. Traumatic experiences can have life-long emotional and psychological consequences if left untreated, and can even have painful and disruptive physical symptoms as well. Everyone heals at their own pace, but treatment and support from loved ones can speed your recovery from the pain of emotional trauma. Start healing your emotional trauma today by learning about the symptoms and treatment of emotional trauma.
What Causes Emotional Trauma?
Emotional trauma is the result of any traumatic experience that made you feel helpless or vulnerable. These experiences can be one-time events, such as an accident or violent attack; or can be ongoing, relentless stresses such as physical or sexual abuse or a life-threatening illness. Even seemingly “routine” events can be traumatic if they happen unexpectedly, repeatedly or occurred in childhood, and if you felt unprepared or powerless to prevent it. Some commonly overlooked sources of emotional trauma are: sports injuries, surgery (especially in the first 3 years of life), the sudden death of someone close, a car accident, the breakup of a significant relationship, a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, the discovery of a life-threatening or disabling condition, etc.
Symptoms of Emotional Trauma
People who experience a traumatic event experience a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. It’s important to remember that these are normal reactions to abnormal events.
Common emotional symptoms of trauma are:
* Shock or denial
* Anxiety and fear
* Confusion
* Anger, irritability
* Mood swings
* Guilt, sham, self-blame
* Withdrawing from others
* Feeling disconnected or numb
* Feeling sad or hopeless
Common physical symptoms of trauma are:
* Insomnia
* Nightmares
* Fatigue
* Difficulty concentrating
* Being startled easily
* Racing heartbeat
* Edginess and agitation
* Aches and pains
* Muscle tension
When to Seek Help for Emotional Trauma
Recovering from a traumatic experience can take days, weeks or even months. Everyone heals at their own pace, but if several months have gone by and your symptoms have not gotten better, then it may be time to seek professional help. It’s also a good idea to seek professional help if you:
* Have trouble functioning at home or work.
* Suffer from severe fear, anxiety or depression.
* Are experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares or flashbacks.
* Are emotionally numb and disconnected from others.
* Are avoiding things that remind you of the trauma.
* Are using alcohol or drugs to feel better.
If you fall into any of the categories above, then contact a trauma specialist today. A certified therapist can help you process the traumatic event and finally start healing your emotional trauma.
Healing Emotional Trauma
The only way to heal from emotional trauma is to face the unresolved feelings and memories you’ve been avoiding. Under the care of a treatment facility, you’ll be able to work with a trauma specialist to process your trauma-related feelings and memories, stop the “fight or flight” response, learn how to control your emotions, and rebuild your ability to trust other people. All of this will be done through a series of therapy sessions combined with emotional trauma treatments. Some of these treatments might include cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic experiencing and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Anyone who’s been through a traumatic experience knows that emotional trauma hurts. Start the journey to healing by calling a treatment facility today.